News Release
Continental Airlines' OnePass Program Redeems Nearly One Million Rewards In 1998 Amid Rising Load Factors
Frequent flyer reward redemptions up 35% year over year
HOUSTON, December 14, 1998 -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAI.B and CAI.A) today announced it will redeem a record number of OnePass frequent flyer rewards in 1998, even though paid load factors were at an all-time high this year.
Nearly one million travel rewards will be redeemed by OnePass members by the end of the year, compared to fewer than 700,000 in 1997. This represents a 35 percent annual increase.
"We feel very good about being able to reward our loyal customers while managing fuller airplanes and record load factors," said Richard Metzner, Continental Airlines' vice president of Marketing Programs. "Even with more people traveling, one in every four active OnePass members will have flown on a OnePass travel reward this year."
Separately, in response to its most loyal frequent fliers, Continental announced today that it will "grandfather" any OnePass member who flies at least 50,000 miles or 60 flight segments by Dec. 31 into the new Platinum Elite level for 1999. To qualify for Platinum status after the first of the year would require travelers to fly 75,000 miles or 90 segments.
As previously announced, OnePass customers who would have qualified for Bronze Elite in 1998 by flying 20,000 miles (or 25 segments) will automatically become Silver Elites in 1999. OnePass members who would have qualified for Silver status by Flying 35,000 (or 40 segments) in 1998 will automatically become Gold Elites in 1999.